Portion capsule having an identifier

ABSTRACT

A portion capsule for producing a beverage includes a base element having a cavity in which a beverage raw material is provided and which is closed by a membrane fastened to the base element.

FIELD

These teachings relate to a portion capsule and method for producing abeverage.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a portion capsule for producing abeverage, comprising a base element having a cavity in which a beverageraw material is provided and which is closed by a membrane fastened tothe base element.

Such capsules are well known and are being launched onto the market inabundant variety. Since these capsules are often quite similar, it ispossible that the manufacturer's capsules are used in a coffee machinedesigned by another manufacturer, although they are not suited for it.This may result in significant security issues and/or the coffee machinemay be damaged.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a portioncapsule which only is suitable for a specific coffee machine.

SUMMARY

The object is accomplished according to the present invention by aportion capsule for producing a beverage, comprising a base elementhaving a cavity in which a beverage raw material is provided and whichis closed by a membrane fastened to the base element, wherein it has anidentifier, which allows to individualize the respective portioncapsule.

The present invention relates to a capsule for producing a beverage orfoodstuff, comprising a base element having a cavity in which a beverageraw material is provided. Such capsules are, for example made ofplastic, natural materials and/or biodegradable materials andsubstantially have a base element, in particular a deep-drown baseelement, i.e. it is substantially designed frustoconically orcylindrically. The beverage raw material is arranged within the portioncapsule's cavity and is extracted and/or dissolved in a liquid, inparticular water. After the beverage raw material has been filled intothe cavity the base element is usually sealed by a membrane. Inparticular the membrane is localized on the opposite side of the baseelement's bottom. The membrane can be made of the same or differentmaterial as the base element and is substantially attached to the baseelement using a sealing and/or an adhesive bonding. Additionally thecavity could contain one or several built-in elements, such as, forexample a filter, a non-woven, a felt, a shut-off device and/orsomething similar to those. For the case that a non-woven and a felt arearranged within the cavity, they are interconnected preferably. Thenon-woven and/or the felt can be made of several layers in such a waythat the layers may differ in the kind of its starting material and/orits preparation. Moreover the membrane and/or the bottom can be providedwith a plurality of recesses (holes).

According to the present invention, it is provided that the portioncapsule has an identifier that allows to individualize the respectiveportion capsule. In the context of this invention individualizing meansthat the respective portion capsule can be assigned to a group ofcapsules that are suitable for the coffee machine preferably. It is notnecessary that the coffee machine is able to specify and/or identify theportion capsule. In fact it is much more important that the coffeemachine associates the portion capsule with a group of portion capsules,which is suitable for the coffee machine. In particular, individualizingmeans that those portion capsules that are not appropriate for thecoffee machine cannot be inserted into and/or directly fall through theholder, which is designed for the portion capsules in the coffeemachine, and/or the coffee machine operates only with the correspondingportion capsules. Preferably a sensor/detection system handles theidentifier and compares it with a stored reference substantially.Preferably, the coffee machine, in particular thewater-providing-pressure pump, will be activated if the detectedidentifier matches with the reference. Otherwise the coffee machine willnot start operating. Preferably the detection system is placed in theregion of the coffee machine's media chute designed for the portioncapsules. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention,the detection system may be placed in the region of the brewing chamber.Another possible embodiment of the invention provides that theidentifier prevents portion capsules from inserting into the coffeemachine. Alternatively or additionally, means, in particular mechanicalmeans, more preferably, one or more gearwheels, may be added to themedia chute in order to guarantee that incorrect portion capsule cannotbe inserted into the coffee machines by passing the media chute.

Preferably the identifier is composed of surface areas having differentoptical properties, for example reflection. These surfaces may belocalized on the membrane, the side wall and/or the bottom of theportion capsules. Preferably, the portion capsule has at least two areaswhich differ in their optical properties, for example the reflectioncharacteristics.

The detection of a recess and/or a bulge is also preferred. Preferably,recess and bulges alternate and/or at least two recesses or bulges areseparately placed from each other. Especially it is possible that therecess and/or the bulge form a gearwheel that is attached to the outerborder and/or at least partially extends to the wall region of theportion capsule. The recess and/or bulge may be produced by any shapingmethod, for example by deep drawing, preferably.

Furthermore, the recess may be realized by removing material. Inparticular the material's removal can be accomplished by punching orusing a laser on condition that this processing does not damage abarrier layer placed in the portion capsule's material, which preventsmoisture or aroma from escaping out of the portion capsule and/or watervapor or oxygen enters the capsule. The reading of the identifier, whichis encoded in the recess and/or bulge, may be a result from a mechanicaland/or optical method, for example. Alternatively or additionally, theidentifier can be used to avoid that the portion capsule is insertedinto the coffee machine. This applies in particular to the media chute.For example it is possible to design a portion capsule comprising a ringgear that is placed on its circumference and is compatible with anotherring gear, which is placed in the media chute. If the media chute's ringgear only revolves for a corresponding ring gear of the portion capsuleand its revolving allows the portion capsule to pass, only portioncapsules equipped with the proper ring gear will pass the insertionlock.

According to a further subject matter of a preferred development of thepresent invention, the identifier may be included in the membrane.Preferably, the identifier is a layer or partial layer of the membrane.Such identifiers may be an optically detectable material, for example afluorescent material. Furthermore, the identifier may be designed withlayers made of metal or ferrous metal or stripes made of metal orferrous metal in or on the membrane, respectively.

Preferably the identifier is a machine-readable imprint. This isrealized with a print in food approved color, preferably. Fluorescentmaterials like paper or print materials, whose optical properties changeunder the influence of temperature, are favored also. Preferably theprint is a barcode, a logo or a repeat pattern.

According to a further subject matter of a preferred development of thepresent invention, the identifier is an electrically conductive section,which can be placed all over the portion capsule, but is localized onthe side wall, the edge and/or the floor preferably. The electricallyconductive section, which is inserted into the coffee machine, canbecome part of an electric circuit and causes therefore a measurablechange, which leads to the identification of the respective portioncapsule. In a further preferred embodiment, the identifier is a sectionmade of a ferromagnetic material.

Another construction version favors a RFID chip being the identifier.

If the portion capsule is customized according to the invention, portioncapsules that are not in line with the coffee machine will be preventedfrom inserting into the coffee machine. Furthermore it is possible thatthe identifier allows to identify the portion capsule located in thebrewing chamber in such a way that the production process of beverage orfood may be controlled, for example by adjusting the temperature, thepressure and/or the amount of water.

According to a further subject matter of a preferred development of thepresent invention, the portion capsule's material is weakened in thebottom area caused by a selective material removal, for example by usinga laser. The weakening is provided for piercing the portion capsulesusing a mandrel. This procedure is needed for the beverage'spreparation. Since the material is weakened in the section, which istreated with a laser and is supposed to be pierced using the mandrel,the degree of necessary force for piercing the portion capsule isreduced. The mandrel of such coffee machines is usually equipped with aforce limitation that limits the force, which is dedicated for pressingthe mandrel against the portion capsule's bottom. This preparationavoids that portion capsules having no appropriate weakening can be usedin such a coffee machine. Consequently the weakening represents anotherkind of identifier.

According to a further subject matter of a preferred development of thepresent invention, the portion capsule has an edge region, which ispreferably attached to the base element. Preferably, the edge is locatedopposite of the base element's bottom area. After the raw material hasbeen filled in the portion capsule, a membrane can be attached to thisedge region, for instance. Moreover the edge can also designed forguiding the portion capsule into the chute in order to position theportion capsule in the brewing chamber properly. Simultaneously it ispossible to use the surface of the edge for stopping and/or sealing.

Preferably provision is made for the portion capsule to have means forfit locking, friction locking and/or detection in the edge region. Themeans for fit locking and/or friction locking may be used to activate acomplementary mechanism, which is located in the coffee machine, inorder to allow inserting the portion capsule into the coffee machineand/or starting a sensor, like a gearwheel, that transmits a signal to acontrol unit depending on whether the portion capsule corresponds to thecoffee machine or not. Alternatively or additionally, a detector mayidentify the mean for fit locking, friction locking and/or detection inorder to check that the portion capsule is suitable to the respectivecoffee machine.

Preferably the means for fit locking, friction locking and/or detectionis a gearwheel or a gearwheel′ segment, which are located, inparticular, in the outer area of the edge region. The teeth of thegearwheel or the gearwheel′ segment may be shaped in any commonly usedform, which is known, for example, by an expert from gear manufacturing.Preferably it is provided that these teeth are triangular, rectangular,square or wavy.

Preferably there is a sealing surface, that is arranged on the interiorside relative to the gearwheel or the gearwheel′ segment.

Another and preferred state-of-the-art technology is a portion capsulefor producing a beverage, comprising a base element substantiallydesigned frustoconically or cylindrically, having a cavity in which abeverage raw material is provided and which is closed by a membranefastened to the base element with the base element having a wall regionand the base element having a bottom area, which is preferably locatedopposite to the membrane, with the wall region having several groovesand the grooves which are located between membrane and bottom areacovering the wall region along its height at least partially. Thegrooves may be also located in the edge region, in particular on theouter area of the edge region.

This portion capsule has the advantage over the portion capsuleaccording to the state-of-the-art technology that, for instance, thegrooves reinforce the base element's wall region. On the one side thesegrooves make the portion capsule more stable towards mechanical forcesand prevent the portion capsule from deformation and buckling, inparticular. The arrangement of the grooves, which are located at thewall region, additionally improves the performance of the portioncapsule while the extraction liquid flows through it in the brewingchamber, since the arrangement of the grooves, in particular thosepartially expending over the wall region between membrane and bottomarea, increase quality and reliability of the extraction processsignificantly. According to the invention another advantage is that thebase element's thickness can be reduced, because the use of groovesimproves the physical stability. The production of the portion capsuleis therefore much less expensive and more environmentally friendly. Onthe other side the grooves reduce or avoid the contact between theportion capsule's wall region and the wall of the brewing chamber. As aresult ejecting or removing the portion capsule from the brewing chamberis made easier. Another advantage of using a plurality of grooves isthat the stream of the extraction liquid, which flows along the baseelement in the cavity, can be optimized by choosing a grooves' structurethat is able, for example, to generate on the one hand a better orstronger turbulence in the extraction liquid or on the other hand a moreuniform (laminar) flow of the extraction liquid, in the wall region. Thecontrol of the liquid may be obtained by the structure of the groovesitself or by using simple means additionally. A stronger turbulencecompared to the one known in the state-of-the-art has the advantage thatno unintended and casual main streams are formed in the raw materials.Instead the extraction liquid equally flows through the raw material inall of the volume. Thus the extraction process is much more efficientand can be controlled more precisely and reproducibly.

In particular the raw material may be coffee powder (especially groundroasted coffee), chocolate powder, milk powder, tea or the like.Alternatively, it is conceivable that the raw material is a beverage'sextract, such as instant coffee for example.

In particular, the grooves are recesses and bulges, which are preferablydirected along a main extension and are preferably extended along thewall portion or the periphery of the edge region. More preferably, thegrooves are formed as webs and/or notches. A gearwheel, for instance,may be obtained by the grooves. Therefore the grooves are part of thebase elements' wall, optionally located on the inner side facing to thecavity and/or on the outside facing away from the cavity.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it isprovided that the grooves form an identifier that allows individualizingthe portion capsule. In the context of this invention individualizingpreferably means that the respective portion capsule can be assigned toa group of capsules that are suitable for the respective coffee machineor the machine producing a beverage. It is not necessary that the coffeemachine or the device for producing a beverage is able to specify and/oridentify the portion capsule. It is more important that the device forproducing a beverage, in particular a coffee machine, associates theportion capsule with a group of portion capsules, which is appropriatefor the respective device for producing a beverage, in particular acoffee machine. In particular, individualizing means that those portioncapsules that are not appropriate for the coffee machine (or the deviceproducing the beverage) cannot be inserted into and/or directly fallthrough the holder, which is designed for the portion capsules in thecoffee machine (or the device producing the beverage), and/or the coffeemachine (or the device producing the beverage) operates only withcorresponding portion capsules (“proper portion capsule”). Inparticular, individualizing means that the coffee machine or the deviceproducing the beverage will not operate properly in the intended use, ifthe used portion capsule is not customized according to the invention.Preferably a sensor/detection system, attached to the coffee machine orthe device producing the beverage, records the identifier andsubstantially compares it with a stored reference. In particular, it ispossible that such an identification process is based on a mechanicalfitting, especially a fitting of a gearwheel or of a contour comparablewith a gearwheel, which is attached to the device producing the beverageor the coffee machine and interacts with the portion capsule. It ispreferred that the device for producing the beverage or the coffeemachine only will operate, if the identifier matches to the reference orthe mechanical fittings match with each other. In this case the devicefor producing the beverage particularly starts to operate, especiallyactivates a pressure or water pump. The mean for detection or mechanicalfitting is preferably located in the region of the media chute or in theregion of the device for producing the beverage. Alternatively theidentifier or the mechanical fitting may avoid that an unsuitableportion capsule is inserted into the device for producing the beverage.A portion capsule, which is designed in accordance with the invention,makes it possible that a portion capsule that is not designed for thedevice for producing a beverage cannot be inserted into it. Additionallythe identifier allows that the device for producing the beverage,especially the coffee machine, may specify the sort of the portioncapsule and thereby control the production process of beverage and foodby adapting, for example, the pressure, the temperature and/or theamount of water.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, itis provided that at least a part of the grooves and at least in asubarea parallel to the main plane of the membrane is gearwheel shaped.

According to the present invention it is an advantage that it ispossible to increase the stability of the portion capsule's wall region,to realize improved turbulences of the extraction liquid and thereby toimprove the extraction's process under the same conditions, for example,such as material thickness and the like. Another advantage is that it iseasy to generate a mechanical identifier or a mechanical fitting thatmatches with a fitting tool that belongs to the device for producing abeverage. According to the invention it is an further advantage that,for example, a gearwheel, which is attached to the device for producinga beverage and is, for example, located in the region of the media chuteor similar, can possibly interacts with the gearwheel's contour of theportion capsule. In this way it is possible to generate a mechanicalfitting that allow to individualize the portion capsule as a proper oneand/or to specify the sort of portion capsule and/or to rotate theportion capsule about an axis of rotation, that is perpendicular to themembrane's main plane, by using the gearwheel's arrangement. Such anembodiment of the invention makes it possible that the portion capsuleis always opened with the device for producing a beverage on the samespot (with respect to its angular position) and therefore the rawmaterial is extracted on the same manner. Moreover the grooves preventthe portion capsule from being inserted into the coffee machine.

In a preferred version of the invention, it is provided that there is aflange/edge region being averted from the bottom region, for fixing themembrane to the base element, where in the wall region betweenflange/edge region and bottom region preferably has a border and thegrooves are being preferably extended to this border.

Because of this it is another advantage according to the invention thaton the one hand the wall region can be constructed in a stable andreinforced manner and on the other hand the gearwheel shaped contour ofthe grooves, located at the wall region, is able to absorb a relativehigh load. With that it is possible that the portion capsule can berotated easily and without any damaging of the portion capsule withinthe device for producing a beverage.

Preferably the base element's diameter is enlarged in the border'sregion compared to the wall region, which range from the border to thebottom region.

This gives rise to the advantageous possibility to stack portion capsuleor portion capsules' base elements easily and robustly.

Moreover it is preferred that at least a part of the grooves aregearwheel shaped and at least a plane, which is at least partiallygearwheel shaped, is parallel to the membrane in such a way that thegearwheel shaped contour expands over the borders or the flange/edgeregion.

Further preferred versions of the present invention relate to portioncapsules that implement one or more of the following characteristics:

-   -   the base element tapers in the direction of the flange in the        border's region,    -   the grooves directed toward the bottom region expand over the        border's region,    -   the grooves approximately cover 20%-80%, preferably 40%-60% of        the wall region, which is placed between the border and the        bottom region,    -   the grooves are constructed in such a way that the wall region        is reinforced and/or the grooves causes an extraction liquid's        turbulence in the cavity.

Other preferred versions of the present invention relate to portioncapsules that are manufactured in such a way that the ratio of thediameter of that wall region of the base element which adjoins theflange to the diameter of the flange is between 0.85 and 0.89, and inparticular substantially 0.87.

In a preferred version, the wall region's diameter, which is adjacent tothe flange, is 39 millimeters and the flange's diameter is 45millimeters. Another advantageous version of the invention prefers abase element having a thicker wall region in the border's regioncompared to the wall region between bottom region and flange. Since theportion capsule's design, which contains grooves in the wall region,improves its stability, it is possible to save material by manufacturingthe portion capsule and therefore to reduce cost and energy required formanufacturing the portion capsules.

According to the invention it is further provided that a filter elementis arranged into the cavity. Such a filter element divides the cavityinto a first region for accommodating the beverage raw material and intoa second region for accommodating a beverage extract. In particular, itis provided that the filter element is made of a non-woven material.

According to a further subject matter or a preferred development of thepresent invention the portion capsule according to the invention isintended for the preparation of a hot beverage. In the following theinvention is explained based on the FIGS. 1-22 . These explanations donot restrict the general idea of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a portion capsule containing sections that differsoptically.

FIGS. 2A, and 2B show a portion capsule containing a barcode.

FIG. 3 shows a portion capsule with recesses and bulges.

FIG. 4 shows a portion capsule containing sections that differsoptically.

FIG. 5 shows a portion capsule with a key function.

FIG. 6 shows a portion capsule's wall that is electrically conductive.

FIG. 7 shows a portion capsule's wall containing sections that differsoptically.

FIG. 8 shows an enlarged pot construction of the portion capsule's wall.

FIG. 9 shows an edge region that is electrically conductive.

FIG. 10 shows a portion capsule containing a bottom that is electricallyconductive.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment containing a layer that can be detected by ametal detector.

FIG. 12 shows a metallic strainer.

FIG. 13 shows a portion capsule containing a ferromagnetic section.

FIG. 14 shows a portion capsule containing a barcode.

FIG. 15 shows a portion capsule containing a section, which iselectrically conductive, in the wall.

FIGSS. 16A and 16B show a portion capsule with a gearwheel placed in thebrewing chamber.

FIGS. 17A-17C show different embodiments of the portion capsuleaccording to FIGS. 16A and 16B.

FIG. 18 shows the portion capsule according to the FIGS. 16 A and 16Band 17A-17C, when the portion capsule is fit locking with a gearwheel.

FIGS. 19 and 20 show a schematic view of a portion capsule according toan embodiment of the presented invention.

FIGS. 21 and 22 show two sectional views of the portion capsuleaccording to an embodiment of the presented invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a portion capsule 1 comprising a base element 2that has a wall region 2.1 and a bottom area 2.2. The wall region 2.1and the bottom area 2.2 define a cavity3 , which may include the rawmaterial and perhaps a built-in element. After filling, the cavity 3 issealed by a membrane 4, which is preferably attached to the edge region2.4 of the base element using seal or glue. This portion capsule can beinserted into a brewing chamber 12, with a liquid, in particular water,flowing through it. During this process, the raw material is extractedor dissolved and therefore the beverage is produced. According to theinvention the portion capsule has only one identifier that allows todetermine whether the respective portion capsule goes with the coffeemachine's brewing chamber and the parameters for processing are chosenproperly. If it is not the case, significant security issues arise.Inserting the wrong portion capsule, for example, endangers the brewingchamber's tightness. In this case hot water can be discharged under highpressure and therefore compromise the user's safety. Otherwise it isalso possible that inserting the wrong portion capsule damages thecoffee machine. In this example the identifier is represented by severalraised areas 8, which differ in reflection properties from the sectionsbetween the raised areas. As shown by the arrows the bulges are passedby a mean for detection 13 (here: an optical detector) that is able todifferentiate between the unequal sections 5, 6 having different opticalproperties such as, for example, reflection. Switching between thedifferent sections or the number of bulges represents the identifier.After the identifier has been read out the identifier is compared to astored reference. If the identifier agrees with the reference, thecoffee machine will start operating. Particularly the pump, which is forexample responsible for pushing hot water through the brewing chamber,will not start operating, if the identifier does not agree with thereference.

All the remarks concerning the identifier apply to all the examples.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show another embodiment of the portion capsule 1according to the invention. The portion capsule 1 comprises a baseelement 2 that has a wall region 2.1 and a bottom area 2.2. Here theportion capsule 1 has a barcode 50 placed in the area of the membrane's4 top surface. This barcode may be printed by material removal or may begenerated by a medium that is integrated in the foil and can be detectedoptically such as a fluorescence agent. Alternatively, metal rings maybe part of the foil or attached to the foil. The barcode's section maybe made of a ferromagnetic material. As shown by the arrow 15 thebarcode 50 alternatively can be attached to the base element's edgeregion being averted from the membrane 4. Such a barcode is read out bya detector 13 placed, for example, in the media chute. The barcoderepresents the identifier according to invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show another embodiment of the portion capsule 1according to the invention. In the present case the identifier comprisesrecesses and bulges 7, 8, which result from material removal orreshaping the portion capsule as shown here by the example of theportion capsule's wall 2.1. In the present case recesses and bulgesinteract with a mean for detection 13, which operates like a key,wherein the coffee machine only start operating, when all elements 14are placed in the respective recess 7. Therefore an electric circuit maybe changed or especially closed.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the portion capsule being substantiallyidentical to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 . As an alternativeversion of the invention, the figure additionally shows that the unequalsections 5,6 differing in terms of optical properties can be attached tothe cover foil, for example in the form of a barcode.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the portion capsule being substantiallyidentical to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 that includes recesses7 and bulges 8. Again, the recesses represent the key bit. The coffeemachine only will start operating, if the recesses interact with thecorresponding bulges and therefore an electric circuit is changedrespectively. The placement of such a system is not restricted to thebrewing chamber. For instance, the system may be placed in the portioncapsule's media chute.

FIG. 6 shows a version of the invention that includes a base element 2and an electric material forming a surrounding ring 2.3, whichpreferably has a raised form. The electrically conductive material isscanned by means for detection 13 having electric sliding contacts,which are placed in the media chute and form electric contacts of anelectric circuit, while the portion capsule is inserted.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the portion capsule being substantiallyidentical to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 , in which it isprovided that the ring area has reflective 21 or mat 22 sections, forexample in form of a covering, and allows a read-out by means fordetection 13 for optical detection, which are placed in the media chuteand are part of a control current, while the portion capsule isinserted.

FIG. 8 shows a relative broad and raised ring 2.3 which represents theidentifier. The media chute is equipped with a corresponding vacancythat tests whether the portion capsule has the proper identifier. Thebroad ring is scanned, for example, by means for detection 13 havingmechanical sensors, which are placed in the media chute and close thecontacts of an electric circuit, while the portions capsule is inserted.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the portion capsule according to theinvention. In the present case an electrically conductive coat 10 isintegrated in the edge region's back and is scanned by electric slidingcontacts, which are placed in the media chute and form electric contactsof an electric circuit, while the portion capsule is inserted.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the portion capsule according to theinvention. In the present case the portion capsule has an electricallyconductive coat 10 at the bottom area 2.2 such as a conductive varnishlayer or an aluminum foil. The coat is scanned by means for detection 13having electric sliding contacts, which form electric contacts of anelectric circuit, while the portion capsule is inserted.

FIG. 11 illustrates a version of the portion capsule having also anelectrically conductive coat 10 that is placed on its bottom 2.2 and isidentified by a means for detection 13 having a metal sensor, which isplaced in the chute and, for example, detects inductively, while theportion capsule is inserted.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 12 has a build-in elementmade of metal (here a strainer 19) that is recognized as identifier by ameans for detection 13 having a metal detector.

The version of the invention shown in FIG. 13 includes a ferromagneticmaterial 20 placed at the portion capsule′ bottom. The identifier isscanned, by means for detection 13 for example, by a magnet, which isplaced in the chute, while the portion capsule is inserted. Theferromagnetic material acts as identifier.

FIG. 14 shows another embodiment which includes a barcode placed in theregion of the cover foil. The portion capsule includes a flange 17.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 a metallic ring 11 isintegrated in the wall region 2.1 and closes means for detection 13having an electric circuit placed in region of the brewing chamber.

FIGS. 16A and 16B show another embodiment of the portion capsule 1according to the invention. The illustrated portion capsule features abase element 2 that is basically conical-shaped in the present case andhas a bottom region 2.2 and a wall region 2.1. It is provided that thebase element contains the raw material and, if necessary, build-inelements like a filter as illustrated here. The expert knows that thebuild-in element may also include other build-in elements. A flange17/edge region 2.4, which is preferably circular and, for example, maybe used for sealing a cover foil 4 to it, is attached to the end of thebase element, which is placed opposite to the bottom. The flange/edgeregion has means for fit locking, friction locking and/or detection2.4.2 in the outer area (outer circumference). As especially shown inthe FIGS. 17A-17C, the means for fit locking, friction locking and/ordetection 2.4.2 is, in the present case, a gearwheel that is formed byseveral recesses/bulges evenly arranged in the edge region. Preferably,it is provided that the edge region has a sealing surface 2.4.1, whichsealingly interacts with the seal 31 attached to the brewing chamber 27,on the interior side of the gearwheel. The sealing 31 makes sure thatthe water coming from a water inlet 28 flows through the portion capsuleby passing a opening, which has been made by a mandrel 29, than aroundit.

FIGS. 17A-17C show different embodiments of the means for fit locking,friction locking and/or detection 2.4.2. According to the version shownin FIG. 17A the gearwheel has forty-five teeth. According to the versionshown in FIG. 17B or 17C, the gearwheel has twenty-two or twenty-nineteeth, respectively. The expert knows that the manufactured teeth can beshaped arbitrarily. All FIGS. 17A-17C demonstrate how the portioncapsule 1 can be held by a part of the brewing chamber 27 using twoholding arms 30. The holding arms interacts with the means for fitlocking, friction locking and/or detection 2.4.2. If they are notavailable, the holding arms will not hold the portion capsule and theportion capsule will not be inserted into the brewing chamber and willfall through it into a dropping box instead. The portion capsule has abase element 2, a wall region 2.1, a bottom area 2.2, a sealing surface2.4.1, and an edge region 2.4.

FIG. 18 shows the means for fit locking, friction locking and/ordetection 2.4.2. along with mean for fit locking 24, which is attachedto the coffee machine and is represented by a pinion here. It isprovided that the mean for fit locking 24 is placed in the media chuteor inerstion shaft 26 of an insertion shaft housing 23 having a port forinserting the portion capsule in the coffee machine. The distancebetween the inner wall 25 of the portion capsule 1 and the mean for fitlocking 24 represented by the pinion 24 are designed in such a way thatthe portion capsule only will pass the port, if the means for fitlocking, friction locking and/or detection 2.4.2 is formed complementaryto the teeth of the mean for fit locking 24 represented by the pinion.Only in this case the portion capsule rotates the mean for fit locking24 represented by the pinion 24 while it falls. Both rotating andfalling are represented by arrows in the figure. The portion capsuleneeds the rotation for passing the media chute's port and falling in theintended position afterwards. If the portion capsule has no or wrongmean of fit locking, it will be impossible to place the portion capsuleby passing the media chute in the intended position. Additionally oralternatively, it is provided that the mean for fit locking 24represented by the pinion has a pick-up that detects the rotary movementand transmits it to a control unit. If the rotation at least correspondsa defined rotating element, the control unit will activate, for example,the brewing unit. The expert knows that the portion capsule's border mayinclude means for friction locking that interacts with a mean, forexample an edge, and shift it in such a way that the shift is detectedand therefore the brewing chamber is activated. The portion capsule 1has a cover foil 4 and a sealing surface 2.4.1.

The expert moreover knows that a sensor, being for example a camera,which detects the form of the means for fit locking, friction lockingand/or detection 2.4.2., may be installed in the media chute. In thepresent case the form and/or the distance between the teeth may bedetected. If the proper portion capsule was inserted, a resulting signalcould be transmitted to a control unit, which activates the brewingchamber.

FIG. 19 schematically shows a view of another portion capsule's versionaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 illustratesthe same portion capsule from a different point of view schematically.FIG. 19 shows the front view of the portion capsule. FIG. 20 shows theportion capsule viewed from an angle below. In all figures the portioncapsule is labeled with the reference sign 1. The portion capsulesubstantially has a frustoconically shaped base element 2, which isformed similar to a pot and encloses a cavity 3. The cavity 3 is sealedby a membrane 4. Since the viewing direction of FIG. 19 is essentiallyparallel to the plane, in which the membrane is located, the membrane isat the upper edge of the portion capsule. In particular, the baseelement 2 comprises a soft, semi-rigid or rigid plastic material whichis deep-drown, preferably. The membrane comprises a foil made of plasticmaterial or aluminum. Preferably the base element has a circumferentialmounting flange 17 in the region of the membrane, with the membrane andthe mounting flange 17 being firmly bonded, in particular by welding orgluing. Preferably a filter element, which is not specifically depictedin the figures, is placed within the base element 2. For instance, thefilter element is made of thermoplastic resin such as, for example,polypropylene. The filter element could also be made of a non-wovenmaterial such as, for example, thermoplastic resin. Preferably thefilter element divides the cavity 3 in two sections. It is provided thatthe first section can be filled with a raw material and the secondsection can be filled with and particularly collect a beverage'sextract, which is not shown, during the extractions process. Bothsections are not illustrated individually.

The portion capsule is intended for inserting into a brewing chamber ora device for producing a beverage, which is not shown here. Inparticular such a device for producing a beverage is a coffee machine.The device for producing a beverage could be also a machine thatproduces a tea drink, a chocolate drink or any other beverage.Preferably an extraction liquid, which is particularly water or hotwater, is brought under high pressure into the brewing chamber of thedevice for producing a beverage. The extraction liquid interacts withthe raw material of the beverage in such a way that an extract of abeverage or a beverage is generated. In particular the filter element isutilized as a strainer for the extract of a beverage.

According to the invention the base element 2 has a wall region 2.1 anda bottom area 2.2. The wall region 2.1 basically ranges from the flange17 to the bottom region 2.2. Several grooves 32 are placed in the wallregion. In particular these grooves are keyways that are integrated inthe wall region 2.1 and are facing the cavity 3 and range from theflange 17 to the bottom region 2.2 (i.e. they run perpendicularaccording to FIG. 19 ). According to the invention provision is made forthe grooves 32 to be extended vertically across the wall region, i.e.they run straight from the flange 17 to the bottom region 2.2, in whichit is not necessary that they are extended over the whole length. Thegrooves are formed according to the invention in such a way that thewall region is reinforced or stiffened due to the grooves 32. Moreover,the plurality of the grooves 32, which are distributed over the wallregion 2.1, realize an adhesion between wall region 2.1 and the brewingchamber's wall of the device for producing a beverage after theextraction process. This makes it easier to eject the portion capsulefrom the brewing chamber automatically. The portion capsule's versionrepresented in FIG. 19 comprises a circumferential border 16 that isplaced at the wall region 2.1 ranging from the flange 17 to the bottomarea 2.2, namely adjacent to the flange 17 facing towards the bottomarea 2.2. The border 16 has an enlarged diameter (parallel to themembrane 4) compared to the wall region's ranging from the border 16 tothe bottom area 2.2. It is provided that the border's contour 16 isdesigned in such a manner that the border's diameter tapers towards theflange 17.

It is provided according to the portion capsule's embodiment, which isrepresented in FIG. 19 and is in accordance with the invention, that thegrooves 32 are placed in the border's region in the first part,partially range from the border 16 to the bottom area 2.2 across thewall region 2.1, in the second part and then finally end. All in all thegrooves cover, for example, around 50% of the extension of the wallregion 2.1, which ranges from the flange 17 to the bottom area 2.2,wherein one-third of the grooves' extension is placed in the border'sregion and two-thirds of the grooves' extension is placed in theremaining wall region 2.1 that range from the border 16 to the bottomarea 2.2.

A portion capsule 1 according to the invention is shown as sectionalview along the portion capsule's extension regarding its height in FIG.21 , i.e. the section's plane is perpendicular to the membrane's mainplane. FIG. 22 also shows a portion capsule according to the inventionin a sectional view portraying the sectional plane, which is parallel tothe membrane's main plane. It is noticeable that the interior of theportion capsule's cavity is shown in FIG. 21 . The portion capsule'smaterial or the base element's material is so thin that theimplementation of grooves 32 at the exterior shown in FIG. 19 leads tocorresponding convexities 34 and impressions at the interior. FIG. 22particularly illustrates the gearwheel shaped contour 36 resulting frominsertion of grooves in the portion capsule's 1 wall region.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A portion capsule for making a beverage andhaving an individualization identifier capable of being detected by asensor/detection system for determining whether the portion capsule issuitable for a specific coffee machine, the portion capsule comprises: abase element with a cavity, in which a raw beverage material isprovided, the base element is deep drawn, made of metal, and has an openupper end portion, a closed bottom, and a wall that extends from theopen upper end portion to the closed bottom, the wall is rotationallysymmetrical about a central longitudinal axis of the base element, thewall includes an outside surface and an inside surface that faces theraw beverage material, the base element has a first height that isdefined between the open upper end portion and the closed bottom; aflange extending outwardly from the wall at the open upper end portionof the base element, the flange having a top side and an opposing bottomside, the individualization identifier is located on the bottom side ofthe flange; a plurality of vertically oriented grooves arranged on theoutside surface of the wall, the plurality of vertically orientedgrooves each have a radiused top end and a radiused bottom end and arespaced a distance between the flange and the closed bottom, theplurality vertically oriented grooves cover 20% to 80% of the wallbetween the flange and the closed bottom; a plurality of verticallyoriented ribs arranged on the inside surface of the wall; a barriersheet to prevent moisture or aroma from escaping out of the portioncapsule; a cover comprising a metal foil that is sealed to the top sideof the flange, the cover having a central region and a perimeter, thecover is bowed upwardly to a second height at the central regionrelative to the perimeter, the second height of the cover is less thanthe first height of the base element, the cover being dimensioned andconfigured to provide a sealing area that is configured to bear againsta seal of the specific coffee machine, the cover being dimensioned andconfigured to provide a piercing area that is configured to be piercedby a mandrel of the specific coffee machine, the piercing area beinglaterally offset from the central longitudinal axis of the base element;wherein the portion capsule is free of a filter inside of the cavity;and wherein the individualization identifier: i) comprises at least twoareas which differ in their optically detectable reflection properties;ii) includes an optically detectable, machine readable, repeat pattern;iii) encodes information used by the specific coffee machine toindividualize the portion capsule so the portion capsule is permitted tobe used with the specific coffee machine; iv) encodes information usedby the specific coffee machine to activate a pump of the specific coffeemachine; v) encodes information used by the specific coffee machine tocontrol a beverage-making process, which includes setting a quantity ofhot water, pressure of the hot water, and/or a temperature of the hotwater; vi) is further provided on the outside surface of the wall of thebase element; and vii)is compared to a stored reference to determine ifthe portion capsule is suitable for the specific coffee machine.
 2. Theportion capsule according to claim 1, wherein the individualizationidentifier is electrically conductive.
 3. The portion capsule accordingto claim 2, wherein the plurality of vertically oriented groovesgenerate turbulence of the hot water in the cavity, impart rigidity tothe wall of the base element, or both.
 4. The portion capsule accordingto claim 3, wherein the vertically-oriented grooves cover 40% to 60% ofthe wall between the flange and the closed bottom.
 5. The portioncapsule according to claim 3, wherein the individualization identifieris a barcode.
 6. The portion capsule according to claim 3 wherein theindividualization identifier exhibits a concavity and/or a convexity. 7.The portion capsule according to claim 6, wherein a ratio of a diameterof the wall of the the base element which adjoins the flange to adiameter of the flange is between 0.85 and 0.89.
 8. A portion capsulefor making a beverage and having an individualization identifier capableof being detected by a sensor/detection system for determining whetherthe portion capsule is suitable for a specific coffee machine, theportion capsule comprises: a base element with a cavity, in which a rawbeverage material is provided, the base element is deep drawn, made ofmetal, and has an open upper end portion, a closed bottom, and a wallthat extends from the open upper end portion to the closed bottom, thewall is rotationally symmetrical about a central longitudinal axis ofthe base element, the wall includes an outside surface and an insidesurface that faces the raw beverage material, the base element has afirst height that is defined between the open upper end portion and theclosed bottom; a flange extending outwardly from the wall at the openupper end portion of the base element, the flange having a top side andan opposing bottom side, the individualization identifier is located onthe bottom side of the flange; a plurality of vertically-orientedgrooves arranged on the outside surface of the wall, the plurality ofvertically-oriented grooves each have a radiused top end and a radiusedbottom end and are spaced a distance between the flange and the closedbottom, the plurality of vertically-oriented grooves cover 20% to 80% ofthe wall between the flange and the closed bottom; a plurality ofvertically oriented ribs arranged on the inside surface of the wall; abarrier sheet to prevent moisture or aroma from escaping out of theportion capsule; a cover comprising a metal foil that is sealed to thetop side of the flange, the cover having a central region and aperimeter, the cover is bowed upwardly to a second height at the centralregion relative to the perimeter, the second height of the cover is lessthan the first height of the base element, the cover being dimensionedand configured to provide a sealing area that is configured to bearagainst a seal of the specific coffee machine, the cover beingdimensioned and configured to provide a piercing area that is configuredto be pierced by a mandrel of the specific coffee machine, the piercingarea being laterally offset from the central longitudinal axis of thebase element; wherein the portion capsule is free of a filter inside ofthe cavity; and wherein the individualization identifier: i) comprisesat least two areas which differ in their optically detectable reflectionproperties; ii) includes an optically detectable, machine readable,repeat pattern; iii) encodes information used by the specific coffeemachine to individualize the portion capsule so the portion capsule ispermitted to be used with the specific coffee machine; iv) encodesinformation used by the specific coffee machine to activate a pump ofthe specific coffee machine; v) encodes information used by the specificcoffee machine to control a beverage-making process, which includessetting a quantity of hot water, pressure of the hot water, and/or atemperature of the hot water; vi) is compared to a stored reference todetermine if the portion capsule is suitable for the specific coffeemachine.